Sonata: Fleeing to Avoid an Arranged Marriage Chapter 5

h.e.l.lo folks!

If you were around BAT Team’s discord days ago, you would have probably seen Akari and me having a brief exchange regarding the Chinese’ favorite pastime that is Mahjong.  It is a highly addictive card based game with 144 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols. Deeply rooted in Chinese soceity so much so that it influenced neighbouring East and Southeast Asian culture and well, now Western culture. It is game of strategy: finding order in chaos. Mao Zedong one said that "Don't underestimate playing mahjong. If you know how to play it, you'll have a better understanding of the relations.h.i.+p between chance and necessity. There's philosophy in mahjong.”

Methinks a certain someone holds a PhD with Honors. You’ll see.

Traslated by Akari and Blazaria

Editor: cfadmode

Chapter 5:  The Deal

The question Xiao Gu asked, brought upon a great shock to Mi Qing.

It was not because of the distress of being caught, but another aspect of panic.

Xiao Gu's words seemed to ridicule, which really made Mi Qing deeply feel that the dried mangoes were indeed dog food!

She opened her mouth several times, before summoning the courage to ask: "The dried mangoes……were they dog food?"

Xiao Gu was clearly stunned for a moment before answering, "The dried mangoes were from my own orchard picked specially by Taiwanese farmers. They were then peeled, sliced, dipped in sugar, and dried by my hands. Do you really think they are for dogs to eat?"

Mi Qing: "……"

As long as they were not food for dogs, it was all good.

She looked at Xiao Gu and saw a hint of anger in his eyes. In her heart, she thought, the dried mangoes, that he put so much effort and heart into making, being thought as dog food, that’s indeed a reason to get angry.

"Uh, it's because your dog had the same expression….the one when inviting me to eat dog food just now was exactly the same as the one it had when inviting me to eat the dried mangoes last night."

Xiao Gu: "……"

He silently stared at Mi Qing before saying, "The dog food was his. When he invites you to eat his food, you can. But the dried mangoes were mine, taking them without asking will be treated as stealing, you hear?"

Mi Qing heard what he said and blushed. Filled with shame and anger she said, "How much were your dried mangoes, I will pay you! If I wasn't that hungry last night, I wouldn't even want your dried mangoes! Even your dog is more compa.s.sionate towards me than you!"

As if he had understood her praise, the husky happily called out, "Woof!"

Xiao Gu looked down at the dog, then asked Mi Qing, "Who do you think took you in?"

Mi Qing was at a loss for words, but was still unwilling to admit defeat, "Who took me in? You make it sound as if I don't have to pay rent."

Xiao Gu smiled, "Then where's your rent?"

Mi Qing: "……"

"My clothes will be sold immediately, just you wait!" She angrily threw out those words, before quickly rus.h.i.+ng to her room.

Putting aside the bowl that has yet to be cleaned, Mi Qing open her online shop trading page, to check the situation of her coat.

Still, no one contacted her.

Feeling discouraged, she pressed her lips together. Suddenly, a 'ding-dong' sounded out from her laptop.

[two-tael: you there? The maximum I'll add is 500 yuan to that coat of yours, and that's it. We are from the same city, so if you're willing, I can collect it at your place, and you don't have to mail it over. I'll pay you the money on the spot.]

Mi Qing bit her lips and thought, three thousand five hundred, that was really too low, but she needed the money urgently to throw it on the landlord's face.

[rabbit2: alright, deal.]

[two-tael: ok, i end work at about 4pm today, you choose to location.]

Mi Qing sent her the address of the bubble tea shop located under her apartment. Then the other party sent her another image.

[two-tael: are you selling this ma.s.sager? I'm willing to pay three hundred.]

Mi Qing: "……"

She looked at the image; it was a photo she took facing her dressing mirror, and in the mirror, at the corner of her study desk, the ma.s.sager was circled in red.

[rabbit2: sorry, i have no intention to sell that.]

I bought the ma.s.sager for two thousand plus, yet she was only willing to pay three hundred……was she really treating me as stupid?

[two-tael: oh, then forget it.]

Mi Qing closed her laptop, changed into her pajamas and took an afternoon nap. When it was 3:30pm, she got up from bed.

She carefully folded the pink woolen coat, and found a paper bag to put it into. Her noodle bowl from noon was still on the table, so when she went into the toilet to wash her face, she brought the bowl along and washed it while she was at it.

After applying her make-up and tidying up her hair, she carried the paper bag and planned to head to the bubble tea shop to wait. On the way out, she met Xiao Gu and his husky.

Xiao Gu had his jacket on, dog chain in his hand and with his shoes on. Hearing sounds from behind, he looked back and took a glance at the paper bag that was on Mi Qing's hand, then he opened the door and headed out.

Mi Qing's mouth twitched, and followed him out.

At the stairs, it was very quiet with only two of them and one dog. Seventh floor was not considered high, but it will still take quite a bit of time to reach the ground floor.

Mi Qing looked at Xiao Gu's back, his hood had white fluffy soft fur, which looked very warm.

She kind of wanted to put her hands in the hood to get some warmth.

But it was obvious that the landlord will fly into a rage, no, how could she even put her hands in a man's hood to get warmth, it was simply ridiculous.

She grunted, and turned her line of sight away: "You are going out to walk the dog again?"

She asked casually.

Xiao Gu paused, then replied: "En, this husky's energy is at its peak, so if it doesn't exercise its energy out, it will tear down the entire house."

"Woof!" The dog walking ahead barked.

Xiao Gu walked it twice daily; seven in the morning and at four in the afternoon. Mi Qing thought for a while, and asked: "Don't you have to go to work?"

Xiao Gu: "Have you seen any boss who stays in the office all day long?"

Mi Qing silently sn.i.g.g.e.red, ok, you are a boss. You are so, oh, amazing!

"Then what do you do everyday?" She curiously asked.

Xiao Gu: "Play mahjong."

Mi Qing: "……"

Capitalists are terrifying.

Xiao Gu who was at the front softly chuckled, and they reached the end of the stairs. When the husky reached the ground level, it started to run towards outside eagerly. Xiao Gu, who was holding on to the dog chain, quickened his pace and followed it.

Mi Qing walked out of the small street alone, and went straight to the bubble tea shop. The shop owner enthusiastically brought the menu to her, and looked at her from head to toe. "Beautiful lady, I have never seen you here before ah."

Mi Qing smiled: "En, I just moved here." She flipped open the menu and ordered the cheapest lemonade.

At 4:30pm, buyer 'two-tael' punctually arrived.

"rabbit2?" She probed.

Mi Qing nodded, and asked: "two-tael?"

At the side, the shop owner quipped: "Online friends meeting in real life ah? Haha, this is my first time seeing two women meet.  One of you pretending to be a man online?"

Mi Qing: "……"

With the owner's imagination, opening a bubble tea shop was a waste of his talent. The world of playwrights requires a talent like that.

She placed the paper bag with the coat onto the table and said to 'two-tael': "You can check the goods."

The shop owner, who was still at the side, exploded again: "Oh my G.o.d, you both are making a transaction?! There should not be an ambush by policemen ba!"

'two-tael' looked him and laughed out loud: "Uncle, you're really interesting, we are just buying and selling clothes."

The word 'uncle' gave the shop owner a heavy blow, and he became completely quiet at the side.

'two-tael' took out the coat from the paper bag. Seeing that there were no problems with the coat, she took out from her purse a stack of Grandpa Mao, and gave them to Mi Qing: "You count it."

(T/N Akari: Grandpa Mao is the nickname of RMB/ chinese money banknotes…… :'D)

Mi Qing took a look at the cash on her hands, and asked the shop owner who was still recovering from the blow, "Owner, do you have a currency detector machine?"

'two-tael' rolled her eyes, while the owner nodded: "I have it.  I'll go and get it for you."

Mi Qing used the currency detector to count the money. The amount was correct, thus she kept the money, and returned the machine to the owner.

'two-tael' put the coat back nicely, then took a few glances at Mi Qing: "You actually looked quite pretty." She studied her for awhile, then smiled and asked, "The checkered coat that you're wearing looks very good, are you selling it?"

Mi Qing smiled at her: "If I sell it, I will not have any clothes to wear anymore. Since there are no problems with the coat and money, that will be it."

'two-tael' lifted the paper bag, smiled at her and said: "Hope to deal with you again."

Mi Qing snickered.

When she walked out of the bubble tea shop, Xiao Gu was still walking the dog.

His dog often went on walks without it's leash. Since it had good training, even when not tied up, it wouldn't run away. But when some pa.s.sersby see this type of dog, they would be afraid so he generally had the leash on so that they would feel a sense of security.

Pa.s.sing a small fry shop, the store owner smiled and shouted, "Little Ha, you're out again on a walk with Boss Xiao ah!"

The excited husky barked twice, dragging Xiao Gu forward.

Not kidding but, Xiao Gu had saved money on the gym by just walking the dog everyday for the past year.

At the intersection, two junior high students were fooling around as they crossed. Xiao Gu thought for a while, today is a Friday, school ends early.

When the two students saw that they were heading towards Xiao Gu they stopped in place for a moment, then turned and began to run away in the opposite direction.

Xiao Gu called out to them: "Running away? You two really feel that you can outrun a siberian husky?"

Students: "……"

The husky dragged Xiao Gu and ran forward to stop the two students.

The two students took a step backwards. To the left, the short fat one roared towards him, "What do you want? Adults shouldn’t bully kids!"

Xiao Gu smiled, "If you want me to bully you, I have lots of means. I don’t need to use my hands."

Little fat boy: "……"

Xiao Gu grabbed the dog chain and made the husky who still wanted to run forward to behave, then asked, "Was it you two who put my phone number up on the to rent ad?"

Both of the students lowered their heads, and acted as if they didn’t hear a word. Xiao Gu's lower lip hooked, and he said, "Sure, since you two are unwilling to talk, I'll find your parents and let them understand the situation."

The little fat boy can't help but retort, "Do you only know how to complain to my parents?"

Xiao Gu replied: "As long as it is effective, it does not matter if that is the only method."

Little Fat Boy: "……"

Xiao Gu quietly looked at them, giving them the last chance to confess their crimes.

When Mi Qing brought the ad with his phone number to him yesterday, he had already suspected those two kids. The reason was simple, these two little brats did not do well in their exams, and ran to his shop to asked him to forge their parents' signature. And of course, to become the accomplice of them and deceive their teachers, Xiao Gu would never do it. Not only that, he even informed their parents to come over and claim their kids.

He did not expect, that they would actually retaliate and take revenge.

Xiao Gu stared at the kids, which gave the little fat boy a lot of pressure.  Eventually, he could no longer withstand it, "So what if it was us? We were already very lenient for not putting your phone number on the blind dating site!"

Little Black, who was at his side, gave him a reproachful look, "I told you that we should have given his phone number to the loan sharks!"

Xiao Gu："……"

Ah, the hero of youth.

He put his hand on the shoulder of the little fat boy, bent down to his eye level and said, "Thanks to both of you, I have successfully found a tenant."

Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tang Wei and the fab Joan Chen playing mind games over mahjong in the film l.u.s.t,Caution.

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